Benito Jerónimo Feijóo y Montenegro (1676-1764) was a notable Spanish Benedictine monk, scholar, and rationalist who played a significant role in the Spanish Enlightenment. He is best known for his works that promoted scientific thought and skepticism toward superstition and traditional beliefs, which were prevalent in his time.
Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, theologian, and mystic best known for his writings on theology and the afterlife. Trained as an engineer and a natural philosopher, Swedenborg made significant contributions to various fields, including anatomy, physics, and astronomy, but he is most recognized for his spiritual writings.
"Bad faith" is a concept that originates from existentialist philosophy and has been widely discussed in various disciplines, including law, ethics, and psychology.
Liberal Christianity is a theological movement within Christianity that emphasizes reason, personal experience, and social justice while often reinterpreting traditional doctrines in light of contemporary knowledge and values. It seeks to reconcile faith with modern scientific understandings, historical-critical approaches to scripture, and an evolving moral framework.
Maximilian III Joseph was the Elector of Bavaria from 1745 until his death in 1777. Born on December 28, 1727, he was a member of the House of Wittelsbach. As Elector, Maximilian III Joseph played a significant role in the political landscape of the Holy Roman Empire during his reign. He was known for his efforts to modernize the administration of Bavaria and improve the state's economy and infrastructure.
The Modern Greek Enlightenment refers to a cultural and intellectual movement that took place in Greece during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, coinciding with the broader European Enlightenment. This period was characterized by a renewed interest in classical learning, philosophy, and the sciences, as well as a push for political and social reforms.
Petru Maior is a significant historical figure in Romanian culture, primarily recognized for his contributions as a scholar and a promoter of the Romanian language and literature during the 18th and 19th centuries. He was born in 1756 in Transylvania and played a crucial role in the development of the Romanian educational system and national consciousness during a time of social and political change.
The term "Republic of Letters" refers to a cultural and intellectual community that emerged during the Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was characterized by the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and literature among intellectuals, philosophers, and writers across Europe and, later, the Americas. This community transcended geographical boundaries and language barriers, uniting thinkers and scholars in a shared commitment to reason, critical thought, and the pursuit of knowledge.
Sentimentalism, in literature, is a movement that emphasizes the expression of emotion and personal feelings, often highlighting the experiences of tenderness, compassion, and deep emotional responses. This literary approach emerged in the 18th century and was particularly prominent in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was characterized by a focus on the individual's inner emotional landscape and a belief in the significance of sentiments as a means of understanding human experience.
Theoklitos Farmakidis is a notable figure in the field of medicine, particularly known for his contributions to medical education and practice. While specific details about his life and work may not be widely available, it is important to note that individuals with similar names may exist in various domains.
Implicit theories of intelligence refer to the beliefs and assumptions individuals hold about the nature of intelligence. This concept is often explored in the fields of psychology, particularly in educational contexts, and it was notably studied by psychologist Carol Dweck and her colleagues. There are generally two primary types of implicit theories of intelligence: 1. **Entity Theory** (Fixed Mindset): This perspective posits that intelligence is a stable and unchangeable trait.
"Life stance" typically refers to a person's fundamental beliefs, values, and attitudes that shape their approach to life and influence their behavior, decision-making, and worldview. This concept encompasses a range of belief systems, including religious, spiritual, philosophical, and secular perspectives. In discussions about life stance, you might encounter terms like: 1. **Secular Humanism**: A philosophy that emphasizes human values and reason without reliance on religious beliefs.
An opinion is a personal belief or judgment about a particular topic or issue that is not necessarily based on factual evidence or universal consensus. Opinions can vary widely among individuals and can be influenced by personal experiences, emotions, cultural background, and values. They are subjective in nature and often reflect a person's thoughts, preferences, or interpretations rather than objective facts or universally accepted truths. While opinions can be informed and well-reasoned, they are ultimately individual perspectives and can differ significantly from person to person.
In philosophy, "point of view" refers to a particular perspective or standpoint from which an individual interprets and understands experiences, concepts, beliefs, and reality itself. It encompasses various dimensions, including epistemological, ethical, and metaphysical considerations. Here are some key aspects of point of view in philosophy: 1. **Epistemology**: In the context of knowledge and belief, a point of view can influence what one perceives as true or valid.
Thought-action fusion (TAF) is a cognitive phenomenon often discussed in the context of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and other anxiety disorders. It refers to the belief that one's thoughts can directly influence real-world events or that merely thinking about an action can be morally equivalent to carrying it out. TAF can manifest in two primary ways: 1. **Likelihood TAF**: This involves the belief that having a specific thought increases the likelihood that the corresponding action will occur.
Wish fulfillment is a psychological concept referring to the process of satisfying one's desires or wishes, often seen in dreams, fantasies, and some forms of art or literature. The term is commonly associated with Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory, which posits that dreams can serve as a means for individuals to fulfill their unconscious desires and wishes that may not be achievable in their waking lives.
"On a Supposed Right to Tell Lies from Benevolent Motives" is an essay by the philosopher Immanuel Kant, in which he discusses the moral implications of lying, particularly when such lies are told with the intention of benefiting others. Kant argues that truthfulness is a fundamental principle of morality and that one has an absolute duty to tell the truth, regardless of the potential consequences or motivations behind a lie.
"Continuum" is a sculpture by the artist Anish Kapoor, known for his unique and often large-scale works that explore themes of space, perception, and materiality. Created in 2007, "Continuum" is characterized by its polished surfaces and intriguing interplay with light, creating a dynamic visual experience for viewers. The sculpture is typically interpreted as an exploration of infinity and the continuous nature of form, drawing attention to the relationships between the object, its environment, and the observer.
There are many excellent books that explore the history of mathematics, tracing its development from ancient times to the modern era. Here are some notable ones: 1. **"The History of Mathematics: A Brief Course" by Roger L. Cooke** - This book provides a comprehensive overview of the history of mathematics, focusing on key developments and figures from a variety of cultures.
"Geometry and the Imagination" is a notable book written by the mathematicians David Hilbert and Stephan Cohn-Vossen, first published in 1932. The book explores the relationship between geometry and visual imagination, emphasizing the aesthetic aspects of geometry and how they can be perceived and understood by the human mind. The text delves into various geometric concepts, figures, and ideas, presenting them in an intuitive, visual manner rather than through rigorous mathematical formalism.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact